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It really ought to have hit me sooner, in light of a certain fairy tale by one Hans Christian Andersen (at least, things ought to have ended up as they do in the fable...JKR did a number on the poor fellow). So, quiz time. I'll give you a hint: it's a bird (he does have a rather impressive beak, one must admit). :)
What bird...
... is often a symbol of love or fidelity because of its long-lasting monogamous relationships (should one die, the other will usually live out the remainder of its life alone) [need I say more? this is canon-Sev we are talking about]
...is revered in Hinduism and compared to saintly persons whose chief characteristic is to be in the world without getting attached to it, just as a ___'s feather does not get wet although it is in water [he doesn't seem particularly...attached to much, does he?]
...has a name derived from the same root as the Latin 'sonus' (sound) [that famous voice]
...is known for its coloration and sometimes "aggressive behaviour towards students" (there are five of these birds at the University of York)
Click for a photo of Sev transformed.
What bird...
... is often a symbol of love or fidelity because of its long-lasting monogamous relationships (should one die, the other will usually live out the remainder of its life alone) [need I say more? this is canon-Sev we are talking about]
...is revered in Hinduism and compared to saintly persons whose chief characteristic is to be in the world without getting attached to it, just as a ___'s feather does not get wet although it is in water [he doesn't seem particularly...attached to much, does he?]
...has a name derived from the same root as the Latin 'sonus' (sound) [that famous voice]
...is known for its coloration and sometimes "aggressive behaviour towards students" (there are five of these birds at the University of York)
Click for a photo of Sev transformed.
I could go with this, although I'm still a fan of the corvid family. (Actually, I'm torn on whether such a bird would be his Animagus form or his "unaltered", "native" Patronus -- or then again, maybe it was always going to be a doe from the moment he met Lily? who knows.)
I like having his patronus as a doe, not because of Lily, but because to me it expresses the inner gentleness and sensitivity he keeps hidden under all that snarky prickly armor (and is the reason for it). I try to imagine scenarios in which he encounters a doe (with or without Lily) that would give him a really happy memory, something I think where he felt free to really be himself, if just for a moment, in contact with something beautiful. This also helps me deal with the otherwise problematical notion that Lily's identity is somehow naturally subsumed under her husband's (ick!).
*rotfl* Brilliant!
And yeah, I wish it could have ended as happily for Sev in canon as it did for the ____ ______ of lore.
Have you ever read Learning to Uncurl? It's a really funny, warm take on Sev's animagus form (I won't spoil it for you) - very unusual and yet perfect in it's own way.
PS: I decided to get a proper IJ account. ;)